Improvement in ice-houses



CHARLES LIEBMANN, OF BROOKLYN, E. D., INEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN ICE-HOUSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 120,754, dated November7, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHARLns LIEBMANN, of Brooklyn, E. D., in the countyof Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Ice-Houses; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable thoseskilled in the-art to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying-drawing forming part of this specification, in whichdrawing- A Figure l represents a transverse vertical section of thisinvention, the line m x, Fig. 2, indicating the plane of section. Fig. 2is a longitudinal vertical section of the same taken in the planeindicated by the line y y, Fig. l.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists of a metallic drippingfloor, constructed ofdetached troughs, connected to the floor-beams by longitudinal stripsand screws in such a manner that the cost of the dripping-licor ismaterially reduced, and that each section or trough can be readily takenout and replaced without disturbing the entire door. It also consists ofthe combination of door-beams, made of iron or other good conductor ofheat, with the ice-chamber, cooling-compartment, and detached troughsforming the drippingfloor of an ice-house, all of which will hereinafterfully be set forth.

In the drawing, A designates an ice-house, the upper part of which formsthe ice-chamber B, which is separated from the cooling-compartment O bythe dripping-floor D. This drippingfloor is securedV to metallichoor-beams E, which beams form, the support for the ice in theicechamber. The floor-beams E, being made of iron or other goodconductor of heat, form a portion of the effective cooling surface ofthe ice-chamber, and I have found that by substituting metallicfloor-beams for the old wooden floor-beams in my ice-house a saving oftwenty per cent. in ice is effected. My metallic floor-beams in a shorttime assume the temperature of the ice, and consequently they act asintegral parts of the cooling-surface, while wooden floor-beamsmaterially interfere with the cooling effect ofthe ice in theice-chamber. And, besides this, my metallic floor-beams have anothergreat advantage over wooden door-beams in an ice-house, since themetallic beams are not affected by the moisture, while wooden door-beamswhen used in an ice-house decay in the course of one or two years, andmuch time and money are absorbed in keeping the ice-house in repair. Mymetallic iloor-beams last for a long time and no repairs are required.The dripping-floor D may be attached to the metallic floor-beams by anysuitable means; but I construct said drippingfloor by preference of aseries of detached troughs,

a., which are made of sheets of galvanized iron,

just wide enough to extend from one beam to the other, as shown in Fig.l. In the under surfaces of the floor-beams I drill a series of holes toreceive screws b, and these screws act on clamping-strips c, whichoverlap the edges of the troughs, so as to press the same up against thedoor-beams, the joints between said door beams and troughs being madetight by interposing strips of felt or other suitable packing material.Each trough can be made of one or two sheets of metal, according to thelength required; but the labor of constructing my floor is much lessthan that required for a floor of the ordinary construction, in whichall parts of the iioor are united by rivets and solder. And furthermore,if any portion of my floor corrodes or wears out the damaged section canbe removed and replaced without disturbing any other portion of theiioor. Another great advantage arises from the fact that on account ofthe large cooling surface of my ice-chamber no direct communication isrequired between said ice-chamber and the cooling-compartment, while inordinary ice-houses, where the cooling surface is diminished by thewooden floor-beams, it is necessary to have a direct communicationbetween the icechalnber and the cooling compartment, and whenever suchdirect communication is opened the ice meltsl with great rapidity.

I am aware that metallic iioors and beams have before been used inice-houses; such I do not, broadly, claim; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A dripping-floor for an ice-house, constructed of a series oftroughs, which are fastened to the floor-beams by clamping-strips andscrews, substantially in the manner set forth.

2. The floor beams E, constructed substantially as described, with themetallic door made up of a series of detached troughs, in combinationwith the ice-chamber and cooling-compartment of an ice-house as setforth.

HARLEs LIEBMANN.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF,

E. F. KASTENHUBER. (58)

